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Fix Microsoft Project Bulk Task Changes Not Applying

WPS Editor Sep 25, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is unable to successfully apply bulk edits to selected tasks using the Multiple Task Information dialog in Microsoft Project.

Fix Microsoft Project Bulk Task Changes Not Applying

Product: Microsoft Project
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to modify properties for multiple tasks simultaneously using the Multiple Task Information dialog.
Observed behavior: Changes made within the Multiple Task Information dialog fail to apply to the selected tasks whenever summary lines are included in the user's selection.

Before you start

Ensure your project task list is fully expanded so you can clearly distinguish between summary lines and actionable subtasks before making bulk selections.

Solution 1Recommended

Exclude Summary Tasks from Your Selection

Deselect any summary lines before opening the Multiple Task Information dialog so that your bulk edits apply successfully to the subtasks.

Summary lines in Microsoft Project are not ordinary tasks. By default, they are set to 'Fixed Duration' and calculate their values automatically based on their underlying subtasks. When you include summary tasks in a bulk selection, it prevents the Multiple Task Information dialog from correctly applying manual changes to the group.

Review your current selection

Look at your highlighted tasks in the Gantt Chart or Task Sheet view to identify if any bolded summary tasks are included.

Deselect summary tasks

Hold down the 'Ctrl' key on your keyboard and click on any highlighted summary lines to remove them from your active selection.

Select only subtasks

Alternatively, you can manually highlight only the specific subtasks you wish to modify by holding 'Ctrl' and clicking each individual subtask, bypassing the summary rows entirely.

Open Multiple Task Information

Right-click one of the selected subtasks and choose 'Information', or press 'Shift + F2' to open the Multiple Task Information dialog box.

Apply your bulk edits

Make your desired changes in the dialog box (such as assigning resources or changing task modes) and click 'OK'. The modifications will now successfully apply to all selected subtasks.

Exclude Summary Tasks from Your Selection

Filtering Summary Tasks: To make this process easier, you can go to the View tab, click the Filter dropdown, and select 'No Summary Tasks'. This hides the summary rows, allowing you to easily select and edit all visible subtasks at once.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are summary tasks fixed duration by default in Microsoft Project?

Summary tasks represent the roll-up of their subtasks. Their duration is automatically calculated based on the start date of the earliest subtask and the finish date of the latest subtask. Microsoft Project defaults them to Fixed Duration to prevent manual overrides from conflicting with the actual underlying data.

Can I hide summary tasks to make bulk editing easier?

Yes. Navigate to the View tab, look for the Data group, click the Filter dropdown menu, and select 'No Summary Tasks'. This will hide all summary lines so you can quickly highlight all remaining subtasks for bulk editing.

What happens if I try to assign resources to a summary task?

Assigning resources to summary tasks is strongly discouraged in MS Project. It can lead to severe over-allocations, tracking issues, and calculation errors. Resources should always be assigned strictly to the individual subtasks where the actual work occurs.

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